IU researchers observe bacteria’s ‘DNA uptake’ process

Indiana University scientists have made the first direct observation of a key step in the process that bacteria use to rapidly evolve new traits, including antibiotic resistance.

Using methods invented at IU, researchers recorded the first images of bacterial appendages — over 10,000 times thinner than human hair — as they stretched out to catch DNA. These DNA fragments can then be incorporated into bacteria’s own genome through a process called DNA uptake or “horizontal gene transfer.”